THE EXPERIENCE OF TANZANIA IN REGULATING THE IMPACTS OF PESTICIDES ON BEES

Transcription

1 THE EXPERIENCE OF TANZANIA IN REGULATING THE IMPACTS OF PESTICIDES ON BEES A paper presented to the Continental workshop for validation of the framework for harmonization of Pesticides Regulations in Africa 17 th to 19 th April, 2016 in Cairo Egypt By Monica A. Kagya Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Tanzania

2 INTRODUCTION Beekeeping in Tanzania plays a major role in socio-economic development and environmental conservation. It is a source of food; Raw materials for various industries; Medicine And income for beekeepers Bee products potential is about 138,000 tons of honey and 9,200 tons of beeswax per annum. Production of honey stands at 34,000 metric tons and 2, 266 metric tons of beeswax annually (FAO, 2010) Second largest producer in Africa after Ethiopia. On average the country exports 375 tons of honey and 400 tons of beeswax per year (MNRT 2015). Only 7 percent of the production potentials tapped. The sector generates about US$ 1.7 million each year and Employ about 2 million rural people.

3 CONT.INTRODUCTION Source of Income and Employment

4 Beekeeping Practices The country has about 48 million hectares of forests and woodlands that are ideal for developing beekeeping industry. These Natural forests provide a potential area for obtaining quality honey Beekeeping is carried out using traditional methods that account for 99% of the total production; Approximately 95% of all hives are traditional including log and bark hives; Beekeeping apiaries found approximately 50 to 80 Km from homestead Keeping beehives away from the villages has the advantage has the advantage of obtaining quality honey and protecting the bees from pesticide Forests, woodlands and general landscape including farming areas are capable of supporting up to 9.2 million productive bee colonies.

5 Cont Beekeeping Practices Forest Based Practice Traditional Based Practice

6 IMPACT OF USE OF PESTICIDE ON BEES AND BEE PRODUCT Tanzania under Agricultural Sector Development Program promotes agricultural intensification through more use of fertilizers, improved seeds and irrigation facilities, aand use of synthetic pesticides. Pesticides use has been the first line of pest control in many of the crops. Tobacco is one of the major agriculture export crop being the third largest foreign exchange earner after coffee and cashew nuts Tobacco main source of household income to small holder farmers who are also beekeepers. Tobacco plants are cultivated in areas with high potential of beekeeping activities are sensitive and prone to many diseases. The tobacco farmers use a large amounts of fertilizer, herbicide and pesticides. Among the pesticides commonly used are imidacloprid, chlorpyrifos, dichloropropene, aldicarb, dithane DF and methyl bromide.

7 CONT..IMPACT OF USE OF PESTICIDE ON BEES AND BEE PRODUCTS TOBACCO FARMER

8 CONT..IMPACT OF USE OF PESTICIDE ON BEES AND BEE PRODUCTS Introduction of improved technology and practices in beekeeping the usage of frame and top bar hives has increased in farmlands A small number of beekeepers have started keeping bees in farms areas such as coffee and sunflowers farms and orchards. The use of pesticides has resulted to some extend effects of toxicity to a small extent to honey bees and other pollinators A number of bees have been recorded dead near the entrance of the hive; Pesticide residues are found in the honey thus rendering the product unqualified for quality standards which are demanded for in the markets. Hence the beekeeper becomes a total loser of both honeybees and honey. They have been a reduction of bee colonies in the country but this cannot be attributed exclusively to pesticide; The reduction in number of bee colonies in Tanzania can largely be associated to climate change and effects of deforestation and land degradation to a great extent. More research has to be done to support these theories, at present information show that the impact of pesticides on honey bees is low

9 CONT..IMPACT OF USE OF PESTICIDE ON BEES AND BEE PRODUCTS

10 Legal Framework Tanzania has developed a legal framework which supports the development of the beekeeping sector. The legal framework is The National Beekeeping Policy, 1998 The Beekeeping Act, 2002(No. 15 0f 2002). The Beekeeping (General) Regulations and Guidelines.

11 Cont Legal Framework NATIONAL BEEKEEPING POLICY 1998 BEEKEEPING GUIDELINE AND REGULATION BEEKEEPING ACT 2002

12 The National Beekeeping Policy, 1998 Section 4.5.1( Management of Pesticides) promotes the use of IPM agreement package. This include, among others,: (a) the application of pesticides at night when bees are not foraging; (b) the application of selected pesticides which are less toxic to bees; (c) avoiding application of pesticides on flowers at "effective bloom period"; (d) the beekeeper confining the bees when pesticides are being applied (beekeeper be notified of the intention, date, time and place of pesticide application).

13 Cont..The National Beekeeping Policy, 1998 Section state that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be required for investment which will take place inside or around bee reserves and apiaries, and which may cause potential damage to the bees, bee products and bee fodder plants. EIA, must be in cooperated in the planning and decision making process in order to ensure beforehand that unnecessary damage to the environment is avoided and possible mitigation measures are identified. This is further elaborated in the Beekeeping Act No. 15 of 2002 section 26

14 Cont.. Beekeeping Policy, 1998 Section and emphasizes on the need to establish and manage bee reserves for specific functions such as; main source of bee breeding material, bee fodder and habitat, enhanced conservation of biodiversity of honey bees and for production of bee products. Reports show that rare stinging and stingless bees species are disappearing from many areas in the country due environmental degradation caused by deforestation and land clearing for agriculture expansion, bush fires and uncontrolled use of pesticides application etc. Bee Reserves can be established either as Private, National, Local Authority or Village Land bee Reserve. The procedure of establishing and declaring such bee reserves are stipulated in Beekeeping Act No. 15 of 2002 Part IV section 11 to 22

15 BEEKEEPING GENERAL REGULATIONS OF 2005 A. REGULATIONS OF USE OF PESTICIDES To enforce the National Beekeeping Policy on pesticides management the Beekeeping (General) Regulations, 2005 Part II Section 4 (1, 2 and 4) state that: - (1) Any apiary product or bee product except where Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is applied shall be established at least 7 kilometers away from where pesticides are applied. (2) No spray of pesticides shall be done during the day time within at least 7 kilometers to or inside an apiary. (4) Where a person intends to apply pesticides on land, he shall communicate such intention to beekeepers through the appropriate local authority and the general public within an area where such application is to be done. B. PROHIBITION OF BEEKEEPING NEAR TOBACCO FARMS Part II Section 6 of the Beekeeping Regulation state that No person shall establish an apiary near a tobacco farm except in a distance of 7 kilometers away from where apiary is kept.

16 BEEKEEPING REGULATION 2005 PART III SECTION 15 (2-3) QUALITY OF STANDARDS OF HONEY AND GUIDELINES FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE OF BEE PRODUCTS OF 2007 Beekeeping Regulation section 15(2-3) state that; The quality of honey shall confirm to or comply with Codex Alimentarius or European Union Standards/ specifications. Honey shall be free from residues of antibiotics including sulphonamides, quinolones and pesticides of carbamates, organchlorines, organophosphorous and polychlorobipheny (PCB). Tanzania has set maximum levels of metal contaminant and /or tolerable limits of antibiotics, pesticides and other industrial chemicals.

17 BEEKEEPING REGULATION 2005 PART III SECTION 15 (2-3) QUALITY OF STANDARDS OF HONEY AND GUIDELINES FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE OF BEE PRODUCTS OF 2007

18 OTHER SUPPORTING POLICIES AND REGULATION The National Environmental Policy 1997, the Environmental Act 2004; The Pollution Prevention Act 1997 and Regulations 1997; the Environmental Impact Assessment and Audit Regulations, 2005 and the Environmental Management (Soil Quality Standards) Regulation 2007 These policies and regulations : provide a framework for Environmental protection considerations by different sectors into the mainstream of decision making to ensure minimum environmental negative impacts due to agricultural practices and use of external inputs such as pesticides

19 ACHIVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENT THE BEEKEEPING POLICY AND REGULATION A total of 69,613 hectares of Bee reserves as National Bee Reserves (NBRs about 37,166ha) and Village Bee Reserves (VBRs about 32,447 ha) have been proposed, six bee reserves of 31,374 have been declared since the enactment of the Beekeeping Act No 15 of In Tanzania beekeeping is still a forest based industry, 99% of the production comes from natural forests which are 50 to 80 kilometers from agricultural areas. Either most of the beekeepers are now aware of the impact of pesticides to the bees and bee products. Since 2002 Tanzania has been implementing the Chemical Residue monitoring Plan under Beekeeping Regulation of 2005 Part III section 18 in order to access the EU market and other international markets. The policies and regulations in place and awareness of the community on the benefits of beekeeping has motivated a lot of people to adopted beekeeping as a livelihood which is environmental friendly; Since the year 2006 Tanzania developed Honey standard. These standards confirm to or comply with Codex Alimentarius or European Union Standards/ specifications. The beekeepers, consumers and exporters have been the key stakeholders in advocating change in use of toxic pesticide which kill the bees and contaminate the bee products. The consumers are highly sensitive on quality of bee products and especially honey which is considered as food with high nutritional and medicinal value.

20 CHALLENGES Tanzania like any other developing countries has been a dumping ground of synthetic agrochemicals without adequate support systems. Inefficient extension service to provide education on use of pesticide and regulation enforcement. This has resulted in weak enforcement of the pesticide regulation and other related policies There is no collaboration between Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives on relevant issues such as pesticide use and there are no regulations harmonizing cross- sectoral activities such as IPM, including the consideration of beekeeping in EIAs High cost of implementation of some of the regulation such as the Chemical Residual Monitoring Plan which is important condition for bee products exporters to access the international market and especially European market. Pesticide users and pesticide companies have not changed their practices although they claim to use less toxic pesticide. Beekeepers tend to move further deep from tobacco farms to protect their bees and livelihood.

21 RECOMMENDATION ON ENSURING THAT BEE HEALTH AND BEE POPULATIONS ARE PROTECTED FROM POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF PESTICIDES. More scientific studies have to be done to come up with information on the status of use of pesticide in the country and their impact on honeybee. Findings from the study will help to plan and develop strategies and regulations for protection the honey bee from potential negative impact of pesticides. The institution concerned with monitoring the use of pesticide should collaborate with relevant institution to ensure policies and regulations are implemented as stipulated and cross- sectoral regulations are harmonized and beekeeping is given priority in EIAs when considering investments Building the capacity of extension officer to enable them to be able to advise the farmer and beekeeper on the proper system or methods of using pesticides. Strengthen the enforcement of the Beekeeping General regulation 2005 Part 11 and part 111 and promote the implementation of IPM.

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